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This chapter focuses on the Indonesian novel Lelaki terindah (The most beautiful man) by Andrei Aksana (2004). Lelaki terindah is part of a noticeable recent growth in Indonesian writing on same-sex relationships. It attracted a degree of attention on the web far in excess of other recent writing portraying gay or lesbi characters in Indonesian fiction. The chapter focuses on two particular aspects of the novel that might be useful in furthering an understanding of representations of Indonesian queer subjectivities. First, it discusses the contrasting imaginings of Bangkok and Jakarta in the...

This chapter focuses on the Indonesian novel Lelaki terindah (The most beautiful man) by Andrei Aksana (2004). Lelaki terindah is part of a noticeable recent growth in Indonesian writing on same-sex relationships. It attracted a degree of attention on the web far in excess of other recent writing portraying gay or lesbi characters in Indonesian fiction. The chapter focuses on two particular aspects of the novel that might be useful in furthering an understanding of representations of Indonesian queer subjectivities. First, it discusses the contrasting imaginings of Bangkok and Jakarta in the novel. Second, the chapter considers the author's portrayal of the two gay characters with regard to their physical appearance, the reasons given to explain their homosexuality, and also the depictions of intimacy in the novel.